East Coast commuters face slow rides to work after snowstorm

NEW YORK — The first snowstorm of the season has given way to rain and high winds in the New York City area, as commuters here and across New Jersey and elsewhere were facing slow rides to work. NJ Transit bus passengers should expect substantial delays and cancellations Friday because many drivers worked past their normal schedules and federal law mandates a rest period. New York’s Port Authority Bus Terminal has reopened after it closed Thursday because there was no room. Some students in West Orange, New Jersey, were forced to sleep at their schools after their buses turned back. Schools were closed or were opening with delays in upstate New York districts. Thursday’s storm dumped 6.4 inches of snow in Central Park and contributed to at least seven deaths across the country.